A Time to Remember
by Mychand
Summary: Caitlin's world is rocked when she wakes up in the hospital and has no idea who she is or how she got there.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

She opened her eyes and the world around her gradually came into view. The smell of antiseptic filled her nostrils and the low beeping sound of the heart monitor seemed oddly calming. The room was empty except for a small chair to her right and a table that swung over the bed with a pitcher of water and a small plastic cup. The sun was beaming through the tiny window across from the bed and it warmed the room.

"Where am I?" thought Caitlin.

She shifted in the bed and felt a light twinge of pain in her side. She reached and touched a small bandage near her hip. Her head hurt and she felt another bandage wrapped around it, her red hair protruding on each side.

"What's going on here?" she thought.

Within minutes, a large woman wearing brightly colored scrubs came into her room and brought a tray of food.

"I see you're finally awake," she told her. "The doctor really wants you to try and eat something."

"Where am I?" asked Caitlin.

"Memorial Hospital," replied the woman.

"What state?" she asked, continuing her questioning.

The woman smiled. "Why, Florida of course."

"Oh," replied Caitlin.

"The doctor will be in to see you shortly," the woman instructed. "Try and eat something. You need to get your strength up."

Caitlin looked at the food in front of her. She wasn't hungry but she tried to take a few bites. The food was bland but edible.

When the doctor came in, she couldn't help but stare at him. There was a familiarity about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Well, I see you are finally awake and attempting to eat," he said. "Can you tell me your name?"

His question startled her. Not that he asked it but because she was shocked that she couldn't answer him.

"Uh, I don't think I know," she replied while trying desperately to remember. "Do you know my name?"

He stared at her a moment. "I'm afraid not," he replied. "We've checked all the local missing people reports and not one person has come forward to claim you just yet."

"What happened to me?" she asked while shifting uncomfortably in her bed.

"We think you were mugged," he replied. "You had no identification or purse with you. You were shot in side but the bullet just grazed you. Whoever did it hit you on the head with some sort of blunt object. You are lucky to be alive."

"Am I going to be okay?" she asked softly. "Why can't I remember who I am?"

"Well, it looks like I need to have you speak with a specialist," he replied. "Sometimes the mind blocks out traumatic events. That could be the case here or it could be a result of your head injury."

Caitlin sighed. "Do you think I'll get my memory back?" she asked.

"The brain is unpredictable," he replied. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. I'm sorry, I wish I did."

The doctor could see the worry and fear in Caitlin's eyes. "Just to make things easier," he said. "Let's call you Mary for now. Does that sound okay?"

"Sure," she hesitantly replied.

"But I don't feel like a Mary," she thought.

"Okay, I'll be back in to check on you later this afternoon," he said. "Try to eat something and get some rest."

"I will," she replied as she watched him leave the room and shut the door behind him.

After taking a few more bites of food, she reached for the television remote and turned on the small monitor that hung on the wall across from her bed.

The local news mentioned several accidents and talked about a local fishing competition. She watched intently, hoping that something would spark her memory or at least seemed relatively familiar. But after watching for over an hour, she felt more lost than ever.

"Who am I?" she said to herself. "How in the world did I get here? Someone has to know. Someone has to know me."

Feeling scared and alone, she pulled the covers up to her shoulders and turned on her side before drifting back to sleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

After leaving the hospital, Caitlin's doctor went to the hotel room he was staying in and made a call.

"Okay, I'm in," he told the person on the other end. "You sure are good at pulling strings to get what you want. She's safe and I gave her the drug as instructed. She doesn't remember anything at this point. I'm still trying to understand why you need me to do this. I know you said you can't say but the whole thing is making me nervous. I wouldn't want to hurt Caitlin for anything."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I understand how you feel," replied Michael. "As long as these people think her memory is gone, she'll be safe. If not, you'll have to take her and run."

"I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect her," replied the doctor. "I owe that to Hawke."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When Caitlin awoke again the sun had set and she could see the moonlight coming through the window.

"I feel like I'm in some sort of fog," she said to herself. "What in the world happened to me? Why would someone want to shoot me? What could I have done?"

She drifted back to sleep but was abruptly awakened by two men who grabbed her by the arms and pulled her out of bed. She tried to scream but one covered her mouth. Their grip was so tight, in her weakened state she had no choice but to give in. They took her down two flights of stairs and into what seemed to be a basement lab.

"What do you want with me?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter," said one of the men as he strapped her to a chair. "Now shut up. We're the ones who will be asking the questions."

They hooked her up to a lie detector.

"Now, you are going to answer our questions," said one of the men. "If you are lying, we'll know right away."

The other man started the interrogation.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I've lost my memory."

The man looked at the results and then continued.

"How were you injured? Do you remember what happened to you?" he asked.

"They said I was shot," she replied. "I don't remember it at all."

Once again the man looked at the results.

"Do you remember who you were with when you were shot?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "I told you I don't know what happened to me or who I am."

Both men checked the results and smiled at each other.

"The boss will be happy about this," said one of the men. "Let's get her back in bed and let him know right away. He'll be pleased that we don't have to kill this one."

The men quickly escorted Caitlin back to her room. "You are not to tell anyone about our little visit," demanded one of them. "If you do, you won't live long."

After the men left, she laid there stunned, scared and alone. She felt herself shaking uncontrollably.

"What is going on?" she said to herself. "I have to get out of here. I need to figure out who I am."

The next morning, the doctor came in again to see Caitlin. He checked her IV and inserted additional medication.

"What's that for?" asked Caitlin.

"I don't want you getting an infection from your bullet wound," he lied.

"Oh, she said softly.

The doctor stared at her. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Caitlin could tell that he was genuinely concerned.

"I think so," she said. "It's just that last night something happened to me."

"What do you mean something happened?" he asked. "What?"

Caitlin looked into his eyes. There was something warm and familiar about him.

"You can trust me…..Mary," he said to her. "I promise you can."

"They said they'd hurt me if I told," she said whispered.

"Who are they?" he asked while moving closer to her.

"Two men," she replied. "They took me down to this room and hooked me up to some wires. They asked me all these questions. I told them I couldn't remember. They seemed happy about that."

Caitlin watched the doctor sigh in relief. "Thank God," he replied. "Look, I need to go and make an important call. I'll be back in about an hour. You just get some sleep while I'm gone."

"I'm afraid," she replied. "Please don't leave."

"I have to go," he said. "I won't be long."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The doctor headed back to his hotel which was nearly across the street from the hospital. He quickly went to his room to make the call.

"They came for her last night," he told Michael. "Apparently they hooked her to a lie detector to see if she's really lost her memory.

"Then our plan is working so far," said Michael.

"I still don't get why you couldn't just bring her in and protect her," he replied.

"If we did that, they'd know she could identify them and that we were on to them. Then our main suspect would disappear again along with Hawke," said Michael. "It's taken two years for him to come out of hiding. We need him to feel safe and not threatened. It took a year and a half and the lives of seven of my best people to find out his plans. I don't want their sacrifices to be for nothing."

"What about Caitlin?" he asked. "Her life is just as important."

"Of course it is," replied Michael. "I knew she'd be safe as long as she's not a threat. Just keep an eye on her. You can release her tomorrow and take her somewhere safe. By then they will have initiated their plan and they won't have any interest in her anymore."

"Fine," he replied. "But I still don't like this. I need to quit giving her the drug. If she's on it much longer it could cause irreversible damage."

"You can stop now," said Michael. "Just don't let her run back to California no matter how much she wants to."

"Don't worry," he replied. "I'll keep Caitlin safe. You just do your part and find Hawke."

The doctor put down the receiver and sighed.

"Who's Caitlin?" said a voice from behind him.

He whirled around and stared at her.

"We need to shut the door," he said as he quickly rushed by her and slammed it shut, locking it and pulling her over to the bed.

"So you followed me," he said not sure if it was a statement or a question.

"I couldn't help myself," replied Caitlin. "I didn't feel safe there and I needed answers."

She stared at him and then shook her head. "Are you even a real doctor?" she asked. "Why is it that I feel like I know you? And this Caitin….is that me?"

"One question at a time," he replied. "Technically, no, I'm not a real doctor. But I have a lot of experience. And yes, you do know me and I know who you are. You're right. Your name is Caitlin, not Mary"

"And your name?" she asked. "What is your name?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Hawke struggled against the ties that bound his hands behind his back. He was dragged in and thrown down in front of his kidnapper.

"Well, how are we today Mr. Hawke" asked Brad Walker. "I heard you didn't get much sleep. I suggest you try. I know you're hurting over the loss of your lady friend but we have an important day ahead of us tomorrow."

"What do want with me?" asked Hawke.

"Oh come on now Mr. Hawke," he replied. "You know very well that you are going to help me kill the most influential senator in the United States. I thought my plan was great before but adding you into the mix has made it priceless."

"No one is going to believe that I took a suicide mission like that," replied Hawke. "Not when it comes to killing innocent people."

"Oh, but they are not innocent," replied Walker. "And since I spread the rumor that the Senator was responsible for your brother being missing, no one will doubt your involvement."

Hawke glared at the man. "You won't get away with this," he replied. "Someone will find out."

Walker laughed. "Ah they might eventually figure it out but finding your remains in the wreckage will throw them off," he replied. Believe me I've been planning this for a long time. I'll admit you were not part of my original plan but I owed an old friend a favor and he wants you dead. I'll be long gone before they realize the truth and they'll never find me. The money I'm making off of this killing is going to make me a very rich man. No one will be able to touch me."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back at the hotel, Caitlin waited for an answer to her question.

"My name is Jason Gifford," he replied. "You and everyone else actually call me Doc."

"Why did you lie about knowing me?" she asked.

"Look Caitlin," he replied. "It's a long story and right now I have to get you back to the hospital in case they are watching. They've probably moved on since they know you can't remember what happened but we can't take any chances just yet."

"Chances?" she said. "I don't understand."

"You will and I promise your memory will come back," he replied. "I just need you to trust me and come back to the hospital."

"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked. "All you've done so far is told me lies."

"I promise I'll tell you everything," he replied as he took her hand and pulled her towards the door. "Let's get you back quickly."

Before he opened the door, the phone rang so he went back to answer it.

"Yeah?" he replied. "Are you sure? Well, she's here with me now. She got suspicious and followed me. Yeah, I agree, it is just like her."

Caitlin listened intently to the conversation. "Who is that?" she tried to asked.

"Okay, if you're sure, we'll head out and I'll contact you in the morning," said Doc.

When he got off of the phone, Doc went in the hotel room closet and pulled out a bag. "Here," he said as he handed her a duffle bag. "These are some of your things. You'll need to change. We aren't going back to the hospital. Apparently they were convinced enough that you lost your memory that they've pulled out and left Florida."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"A friend of ours has people monitoring the situation," said Doc. "But we need to get out of here soon just in case."

Caitlin went into the bathroom and pulled out some clothes from the bag and changed. When everything including the worn jeans fit perfectly, she knew the clothes had to belong to her. She came out and found Doc sitting in one of the chairs waiting for her.

"I need you to tell me more about who I am and how I know you," she said. "My gut feeling tells me that I can trust you but I need to know more."

"I promise I'll tell you anything you want when we're on the road," he replied. "We need to get going."

Caitlin stared at him. "Okay," she said. "But first at least tell me how I know you."

Doc knew they needed to leave quickly but he realized that he had to try and give Caitlin something in order for her to trust him. "We met through a mutual friend," he replied. "His name is Stringfellow Hawke."

Caitlin thought for a minute. "He's missing," she said.

"You remember that?" he asked.

"No, I heard you tell the person you were talking to that they needed to find him," she replied.

"You were with him when you were shot," replied Doc. "We aren't quite sure why you came to Florida but you were hit and he disappeared."

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"Our friend on the phone, Michael works for the government," replied Doc. "So do you sometimes. When you came into the hospital as a Jane Doe, the police checked your fingerprints. Access to your prints is restricted. Local law enforcement got nothing but it triggered an alert to Michael's people. His agency is investigating the head of those men who grabbed you. He found out that they had Hawke so he sent me here as a way to protect you. Apparently this guy's MO is that he likes using lie detectors on his people."

"So you knew they were going to grab me and make me go through that?" she asked.

"We suspected it might happen," replied Doc. "We learned they only shot at you because you escaped. If we had brought you in right away he thought they'd pull out and run. But, if they realized you had amnesia, Michael figured they'd be confident enough to continue whatever they had planned."

"What exactly is that?" she asked.

Doc sighed. "I'm not sure," he replied. "Apparently information is on a need to know basis and they didn't feel I needed to know."

"So you are risking your life and you don't even know what's going on?" she asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," he replied.

"Why?" she asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Hawke is a good friend of mine and I owe him," he replied. "Besides, you're worth it."

Caitlin shook her head. The slight hesitation she had about going with him disappeared. "Let's get going," she said. "We can continue this in the car."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Caitlin was quiet in the car as they headed south on the interstate. Doc told her what he knew about her past and her family in Texas. He explained how she came to California and started working at Santini Air. She stared out the passenger side window for a long time before deciding she wanted to ask more questions.

"You said I was worth it," she replied. "Did we have some sort of relationship?"

Doc smiled. "No, we've always been just friends," he replied. "Not that I don't find you attractive."

"Oh," she replied. "Then why didn't we get together?"

Her question took him by surprise. "Well, I think your heart belongs with someone else," he replied.

"This Hawke guy?" she asked. "Are we a couple?"

"No, you aren't but you definitely should be," he replied. "There is a strong chemistry between you but for some reason the two of you don't seem to see it."

Caitlin sighed, "I wish I could remember."

Doc dreaded the next part of their conversation but he knew that he had to be honest with her.

"Caitlin, there is something you need to know about your amnesia," he finally told her.

"What?" she asked. "Do you think I'll never get my memory back?"

"The truth is, Michael asked me to give you a drug his people developed that would cause amnesia," he replied. "I've been administering it to you since I came to the hospital."

Caitlin was visibly upset. "How could you do that to me?" she asked. "That's terrible."

"Michael had two choices," he replied. "Make these guys think you lost your memory or have everyone believe you were dead. He didn't want your family dragged into this so he chose the amnesia route. There is a lot at stake and a lot going on with this guy they are trying to catch. If they had told everyone you died, your family would have been devastated. This way, they don't have to know anything about it and it will all be over soon."

Caitlin listened intently to what he had to say before responding. "I don't even remember my family so I don't know which scenario is worse," she replied. "Will my memory come back when the drug wears off?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "I put the last dose in your IV but you followed me instead so you never got it. By my estimation, you should have had some memory return by now."

Caitlin leaned back in the car headrest and closed her eyes. "This is like a bad dream that keeps on getting worse," she replied. "Why didn't this Michael guy give me a choice? Does he know me?"

Doc shook his head. "Yes," he replied. "He knows you well. I guess he was afraid you'd choose the death option and somehow find a way to let your family know."

"What would have been so wrong with that?" she asked before stopping and turning to look at Doc.

"Wait, he thought I'd go after them," she replied. "I don't know how I know that but I do. He didn't want me going after Hawke."

"You're right," he replied. "I'm sure that had to play a part in the decision. If you went after Hawke it could have destroyed the plans for catching this guy. He knew you couldn't sit back and do nothing."

"Damn it," she yelled. "I can't stand not remembering. How can I trust you or anyone else now?"

"All I want to do is protect you Caitlin," replied Doc. "Hawke will be happy that you're safe."

"Would he have liked what you two did to me?" she asked.

"No," he replied honestly. "He wouldn't like it. But he would be happy to know you're safe."

Caitlin thought for a moment, "Wait, you said you weren't sure why we were in Florida," she said. "Was that the truth?"

"Yeah," he replied. "We have no idea why the two of you would come here. You didn't even let Santini know."

Caitlin sighed. "I'm tired," she said. "Are we stopping soon?"

"We're almost there," he replied as he pulled off of the interstate and heading towards the coast.

"Where are we?" she asked as they pulled into a parking garage.

"I thought you saw the sign," he replied. "We're in Daytona Beach. We'll be safe here until this is all over."

Caitlin followed Doc as he picked up the key and headed to the two bedroom condo rental that overlooked the ocean. Once inside she went out on the balcony and stared at the water. She felt like running away from there but without her memory or a way to get money, she knew it was best that she stayed. "He does care about me," she thought. "I couldn't do that to him. It's not like he's getting anything out of all of this. He's just trying to help."

Doc stepped out on the balcony to join her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I will be," she replied.

"I'm really sorry about the drug," he replied. "It's the last thing I ever wanted to do. I almost lied and didn't give it to you but those men would have taken you permanently had you remembered what happened. I couldn't have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you."

"I'm not mad anymore," she replied. "I don't know how I know this but I believe you'd never intentionally hurt me."

Doc sat down on one of the plastic chairs. "I was thinking that your memory loss might not be all drug related," he said. "Whatever happened when you and Hawke were with these people could have been traumatic for you. Sometimes the mind blocks events that a person can't deal with."

"You mean something bad could have happened to Hawke?" she asked. "I thought you said they had him?"

"Michael said they did but that doesn't mean the event was any less traumatic or that they didn't hurt him in some way," replied Doc.

Caitlin took a seat beside him. "I've been getting these flashes of memory the last hour," she admitted. "I don't know what they mean though. I see a man's face with blood all over it but I can't see it clear enough to figure out who it is."

Doc put his hand on her arm. "Don't force it," he replied. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you."


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm not sure how long this story is going to be. :o) I'm just sort of going wherever it takes me. I love writing stories with Doc. Thanks again for the reviews._

**Chapter 5**

Dom paced back and forth in Michael's office waiting for him to come back from a briefing. When he finally returned, Dom was anxious for an update.

"What's going on Michael?" he asked. "Your people know they have String and I want to know why they have him and what they're doing with him."

"Take it easy Dominic," replied Michael. "All we know so far is that he's alive and they plan to use him somehow in the assassination of the senator. My people are still trying to get the rest of the information."

"What if Caitlin has that information?" he asked. "I still can't believe you risked her life by giving her a memory altering drug."

"It was the best chance we had to protect her and Hawke and catch this guy," demanded Michael.

"I don't see how it helps String," he replied. "I just think there had to be a better way. What about now? Where is she?"

"She and Doc are somewhere in Florida," he replied. "I thought it would be safer that we didn't know."

Dom shook his head in disgust. "I just wish I knew what they were doing in Florida in the first place," he said. "It makes no sense at all."

"Apparently they were lured there," replied Michael. "At least Caitlin escaped and she'll be okay."

"How do you know she'll be okay?" Dom asked. "When you first told me about the drug, you even said it was risky and that she might not get her memory back."

"It's only a small percentage of a chance that the memory loss will be permanent," Michael insisted.

"Any percentage was too big a risk," complained Dom. "I want to talk to her."

"If Doc calls in I'll let you know," he replied. "But I doubt we'll hear from them until this is all over."

Dom sighed. "When do you need me to get the Lady," he asked.

"We know it's supposed to go down tomorrow night but we still aren't sure where. The senator has two late meetings and then he plans to head home for the night," said Michael. "He's heavily protected so we still can't figure out how this is all going to go down. Either way, my people say this guy is pretty confident."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

While Caitlin laid down in one of the rooms to take a short nap, Doc went next door to small restaurant and brought them back something to eat. As he was unpacking the food he heard Caitlin scream from the other room.

He ran to her and saw her sitting up in the bed with tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I remembered something," she replied. "I remember right before I was shot at."

"What do you remember?" he asked. "It's okay. Tell me."

Caitlin felt herself tremble as Doc pulled her into his arms to comfort her.

"I remember being with Hawke," she said. "We were walking down this beach path and they grabbed us. We were thrown into a dark van."

"Do you remember why you were on the beach?" he asked.

"No, I don't even remember knowing Hawke," she replied. "I just recall that we were taken to this warehouse and we overheard the plans they were making when they thought we were unconscious. That's when I got the bump on the head."

"What did you hear?" he asked.

"They said an old enemy of Hawke's had paid them to use him in their plans to kill someone," she replied. "They are going to have him fly into a building using some sort of radio controlled auto pilot. It's a suicide mission."

"I don't even remember him," she said while trying to hold back the tears. "Why does this hurt so badly?"

Doc squeezed her tightly. "Do you remember anything else," he replied.

"He helped me to escape," she replied. "He tried to stop them from shooting at me. I don't know if he's still alive."

"He is," replied Doc. "Michael said he was. But now I need to call him immediately. He may not know about their full plans."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

As Dom and Michael were arguing over the current events, the call came in from Doc who relayed the information that Caitlin had told him.

"Alright," said Michael. "I need the two of you to stay there until this is all over. Dom wanted to talk with Caitlin. Is she up for it?"

Doc put a hesitant Caitlin on the phone.

"Hey sweetheart," said Dom. "I know things are a little confusing right now but I promise you that we are going to take care of everything and in time you'll remember."

"Thanks," she replied. "I hope so. I'm sorry that I don't remember you."

"That's okay," he replied. "You did great by remembering what the two of you overheard. You just sit tight. We'll be in touch as soon as this is all over."

"Sure," she replied softly before handing the phone back to Doc.

"I'll take care of her Dom," assured Doc. "You just go and get Hawke."

After getting off of the phone with Dom, Caitlin got up and stepped back out on to the balcony. She watched as several couples walked hand and hand down the shoreline. Slowly she let her mind wander and another memory came to her.

_"Hawke, have you seen these flyers that have been stuck up all over the place?" she asked._

_"The ones that advertise Florida?" he asked._

_"Yeah," she replied as she read the little advertisement. "It sounds so wonderful. It's somewhere that I've always wanted to go but have never been."_

_"Really?" he asked. "I'm surprised."_

_"I guess the opportunity has never come up," she replied._

_Hawke grinned. "Then let's go," he exclaimed._

_Caitlin's face lit up. "When do you want to go?" she asked._

_"Now," he replied. "We have the weekend off so why not fly out? I have some friends out there that I haven't seen in awhile. It would be great."_

_"Okay," she replied. "Should we call and let Dom know?"_

_"Nah," he replied. "We'll call him after we get there."_

Doc walked out onto the balcony and put his arm around Caitlin's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I remember why we came out here," she replied. "I still can't remember anything about him or myself but I can recall what happened."

Caitlin relayed her memory to Doc. "It's my fault," she replied. "I said I wanted to come here."

"You can't blame yourself Caitlin," said Doc. "You had no way of knowing how things were going to turn out. I have a strong feeling those flyers were planted as a suggestion. Someone wanted you two out here and they managed to pull it off."


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm thinking this story will probably be about 8 chapters. The action comes next and then the wrap up. Not sure that I'll have time for another chapter tonight or not. If not, it will be tomorrow night or Tuesday at the latest. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :o)_

**Chapter 6**

"I want to go back to California," demanded Caitlin as she got up and walked back into the condo. "I can't just sit here and wait."

Doc followed her back inside. "Look, Hawke isn't in California and soon Michael and Dom will be gone as well."

"Where then?" she asked. "Where is this all happening?"

"Georgia," he replied solemnly. "That's probably why you were lured to North Florida. It was more appealing and closer to this guy and his friends."

"Then I want to go there," she said. "This is my fault. I need to help get him back."

Doc gently grabbed her arm and held on to it. "Caitlin, we can't just show up where this senator is at. If we do, they might go ahead and just kill Hawke. Then they will go so far underground that we'll never know how to find any of them."

Caitlin sighed. "Fine," she replied. "But we need to do something to help."

"I think I have an idea," he replied as he picked up the phone.

Caitlin waited anxiously as Doc talked with Michael again. When he got off of the phone she wanted to know right away what was discussed.

"He'll be picking us up tonight," he replied. "It turns out they realized they needed my help after all and didn't know how to reach me."

"How are you going to help?" she asked. "What about me?"

"I'm going to be flying Airwolf," he replied. "Dom can't fly and disengage that autopilot at the same time. You can come too."

"What's Airwolf?" she asked.

Doc smiled. "You'll see," he replied. "She's a little hard to explain but Hawke once said you called her a black battleship with rotors."

Caitlin grinned. "Wow, that sounds cool," she replied. "This should be interesting. At least I'll feel better not having to sit around and do nothing."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Later that evening, Caitlin sat back outside on the balcony and waited. Dom would be picking them up on the beach within the hour. The breeze made her shiver slightly but she couldn't help but stare at the moonlight that illuminated the ocean and the waves as they hit the beach.

"Black battleship with rotors," she thought. She could even hear herself saying it but the memory of it was still out of her reach. As she continued to stare out into the darkness, his face came to her. The grin he gave her as they decided to come to Florida at the spur of the moment. Then she had nothing. No more memories and no understanding of how she really knew him. The only thing she knew was what was going on with them now and she couldn't fight the urge to want to help.

Doc came back out and sat down beside her. "I hate this," she told him. "I'm glad we get to go and help but I hate not remembering. What if my memory never comes back?"

"Give it time Caitlin," he assured her. "You've been able to remember recent things. Maybe that's an indication that it will all come back in time."

"I sure hope so," she replied.

Before she knew it, Doc had escorted Caitlin down to the beach to wait for Dom to pick them up. As they sat near the sand dunes, she looked up to see the lights of a very dark helicopter coming towards her. A flash of memory came to mind. She was in the back of a truck and someone was trying to hold her down. Whoever was in that helicopter saved her life. "Oh my gosh," she thought. "They saved me."

When they got inside, Doc took over as pilot and Dom moved to the back of Airwolf. Caitlin stared at him. She felt like she knew him.

"You saved me from some men in the back of a truck," she said. "I just remembered that as you landed. It all seemed so familiar."

"Do you remember anything else?" Dom asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," she replied. "I keep trying but everything is just so confusing to me. I keep remembering bits and pieces but not really anyone or anything particular."

Caitlin looked around the inside of Airworlf. "This is amazing," she said. "It must be cool to be able to fly it."

Doc smiled. "You've flown her before," he informed her.

"You never said I was a pilot," she replied. "Wow, that's so cool. I flew this? I can't believe it."

Dom smiled. "You got pretty good at it too," he told her.

"What now?" asked Doc.

"I'll give you the coordinates," replied Dom. "The senator has a full schedule tomorrow and even though we think this will happen more towards the evening, we can't be sure. So, we're going to be on standby until Michael's people find out any additional information."

"Why does someone want to kill this senator?" she asked. "And why include Hawke?"

"He's planning on running for president in two years," replied Dom. "Apparently, the guy we're after doesn't want that and he's going to do anything he can to stop it. As for String, we can't figure out the connection yet."

"I hope you can stop them," said Caitlin. "I keep thinking that since he was the last one I saw before losing my memory, maybe seeing Hawke again will help me remember."

"It could," replied Doc. "But Caitlin don't get your hopes up. I really believe that your memory will come back but it might take some time."


	7. Chapter 7

_Ah, so I found a little time for this chapter but not sure about the next (last) one. I promise not to take too long! :o) _

**Chapter 7**

When the call came from Michael's men, Dom and Doc acted quickly. "Michael just sent me the coordinates of the plane," said Dom. "His men verified that String is inside and that Walker's people were controlling it."

"They are taking over his compound now," continued Dom. "It's up to us to stop this plane from crashing into the state capital."

"You can't let it crash at all," said Caitlin. "If they are controlling it, how are you going to stop that?"

"Sweetheart, the Lady here can do a lot of things that a normal helicopter can't do," replied Dom. "The computers we have should allow me to hack into the control system of that plane. Once I do that, I can have it land safely anywhere I want."

"That's amazing," replied Caitlin.

"There it is," Doc interrupted. "I'm going to move in closer. You got anything yet Dom."

"System is scanning their onboard programs," replied Dom. "I think I found it. Now comes the hard part."

"I estimate we have about five minutes," replied Doc. "After that it will probably make its decent on the capital."

"I'm on it," said Dom as his fingers worked frantically on the keyboard.

Doc flipped on Airwolf's intercom system. "Hawke, if you can hear me, we're right on top of you," he said. "We are working on getting you down safely."

Caitlin instinctively reached over and flipped on the thermal scanners. She could see one person was on board and sitting in the pilot's seat.

Doc looked over in surprise. "I don't know how I knew to do that," she replied. "He's not moving but he appears to be alive."

"He is," replied Doc as continued to fly just above the aircraft as they quickly moved towards the capital building.

"We're running out of time Dom," yelled Doc. "I can see the capital."

"I'm almost there," replied Dom. "Hang on."

Within seconds they were nearly on top of the building when Hawke's plane began its downward decent.

"Got it," yelled Dom as he quickly changed commands and the aircraft began to alter its descent and climbed to a higher altitude, missing the capital building but flying right over it.

"That was too close Dom," said Doc. "Where are you going to land it?"

"There is a private airstrip not far from here," he replied. "I know the owner. I'm sending you the coordinates now. I've already programmed the autopilot of String's plane."

Caitlin let out the breath that she didn't realize she was holding. "That was the scariest thing I've ever seen," she told them.

Dom laughed. "Not exactly," he told her. "Believe me you've been in much scarier situations."

Caitlin shook her head. "I don't think I want to remember anything like that," she replied.

"Look at it this way," replied Dom. "You are alive and well aren't you? Besides, you've come out of it all a much stronger person. Don't be afraid to remember. There are just as many good times as there have been bad. I promise you that."

"Thanks," she said softly.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Within minutes, Dom had successfully landed Hawke's plane and Airwolf came to a rest beside them.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I could land an aircraft without actually being inside of it," said Dom. "But I don't think I would want to have to do this ever again."

They climbed out of Airwolf and ran to Hawke's plane. Doc was the first one to climb inside. String was unconscious and sitting slumped down in the pilot's seat as Doc began to assess his injuries.

"He's been beaten pretty badly," he told them. "We need to get him to the hospital. There might be internal injuries."

Caitlin stared at Hawke as Doc and Dom gently removed him from the airplane and put him inside Airwolf.

"Let's take him to one of the Firm's clinics," said Dom. "There is one not too far from here. I'll contact Michael. I'm sure his men have stormed Walker's compound by now. Hopefully everyone involved is in custody."

Once at their destination, Hawke was immediately rushed into surgery.

"He has some internal bleeding," confirmed Doc. "They are going in to see if they can repair the damage."

"See if they can?" asked Caitlin.

"Don't worry," said Doc. "They are some of the best doctors in the country. He's in good hands."

Hours later Caitlin found herself at Hawke's beside. She couldn't help but be drawn to him even though she still struggled to remember him.

"Why can't I remember?" she said softly to herself. "The drugs should have worn off by now. What is it that's keeping from knowing who I am and who you are?"

Caitlin got up and began pacing around the room. She tried desperately to recall the past. "I can't take this anymore," she sobbed.

"Cait?" said Hawke in a low raspy voice. "Cait you're okay?"

Caitlin turned and was surprised to see Hawke staring at her. "No," she said as she turned and ran out of the room.

"Caitlin, what's going on?" asked Doc as he headed towards her in the hall.

"He's awake and I still don't know him," she said sadly. "I need some time alone."

Caitlin took off down the hall and found a small waiting room. She sat in one of the chairs and looked out the window at the evening sky.

Back in Hawke's room, Dom was trying to comfort him. "I thought she was dead Dom," said Hawke. "They told me she died."

"They lied to you," confirmed Dom. "She's okay but she has some memory loss. Michael decided to give her a memory altering drug for her safety."

"What?" asked Hawke. "That makes no sense Dom."

"Well, I'll let Michael explain it to you," replied Dom. "I wasn't too happy about it when I found out. As a result, we aren't sure if she'll ever fully remember everything."

String sighed. Dom could tell he was in a lot of pain, mentally and physically. "It doesn't seem fair Dom," he said. "How could a simple weekend trip turn out so badly?"

"What exactly were the two of you doing in Florida anyway?" asked Dom.

"Caitlin said she'd never been," replied Hawke. "She'd seen those flyers around the hangar and we started talking about it. I thought it would be fun to go. And, we were having a great time until…"

"Until you were grabbed?" Dom asked.

"Well, that ruined things too," he replied. "But right before that, things got a little serious between us."

"What do you mean by serious?" asked Dom.

"I felt the urge to kiss her," he replied. "Afterwards she pulled away and was upset. I tried to find out why and that's when we were grabbed by those men. I never got a chance to talk to her about it."

"And now she doesn't remember it," said Dom.

"I can't figure out how I misread the signals," said Hawke. "I was sure she had deeper feelings for me."

Dom gave Hawke a slight smile. "Of course she does," he replied. "I have no doubt about it. Maybe the timing just wasn't right."

"I hope you're right," replied Hawke. "The last thing I would want to do is ruin our friendship. She means too much to me."


	8. Chapter 8

_Oh well, I just couldn't let this go. I had to finish it. Now off to other work that must get done! Thanks again for reviewing and helping me to catch errors! :o)_

**Chapter 8**

A week later, a hesitant Caitlin joined Hawke when he went back home to his cabin. He immediately started taking care of several things that had been neglected there in his absence.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" she asked him. "You just got out of the hospital."

Hawke looked at her and smiled. "You sound just like the old Caitlin," he told her. "You always have worried about me a little too much."

Caitlin quickly turned her back to him. She knew her eyes would give her away.

Hawke came up behind her and put his arms around her. "Your memory is back, isn't it?" he asked.

Caitlin sighed deeply. "I'm sorry," she replied. "I was going to tell you. I've been getting flashes of memory all week. I just needed time to absorb it all for myself. I hope you understand."

Hawke let go of her and gently turned her around to face him. "I do," he replied. "You've been through a lot recently."

"We both have," she replied. "I wish I knew who lured us out to Florida."

"Michael thinks it was probably Horn," replied Hawke. "I think he might be right. It's the only thing that makes any sense."

"Won't he ever leave us alone?" she asked. "Hasn't he caused enough pain?"

"Don't worry," replied String. "One of these days his luck will run out and we'll get him. He'll pay for the things he's done."

"I hope so," she replied as she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

"Well, at least the senator is safe," she continued. "And Walker and his gang are going away for a really long time. I don't think I recall Michael ever being so proud."

Hawke laughed. "I know," he replied. "The only thing left he is concerned about is that you get your memory back. I think we should let him sweat that one out a little bit longer."

Caitlin smiled. "Yeah, I agree," she replied. "He took a big risk giving me that drug. It was really scary not remembering my past."

"I bet is was," he replied before changing the subject. "Are you hungry? Dom said he'd bring some groceries up tomorrow but I'm sure I can find something around here to make."

Caitlin smiled. "No, you sit down and rest," she insisted. "I'm not really all that hungry right now."

"Okay," he said. "If you promise to come and sit down with me I will. We really need to talk."

"I know," she replied as she sat down beside him on the couch.

Her voice seemed so sad that String was worried about the conversation he wanted to have with her.

"Cait, about what happened in Florida right before we were grabbed," he began. "Why did you get so upset?

Caitlin could hardly look Hawke in the eyes. It hurt her to have to explain what she was thinking but she realized it was time that she did.

"String, I knew the moment I met you that there was some sort of spark between us," she confessed. "But, I also knew you didn't feel the same way I did. You've dated all these women since I've known you and I came to the conclusion that I was far from your type. So, over time, I finally convinced my heart what my head already knew. We are just friends. So, when you kissed me, I wasn't sure how to handle it."

String took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "Cait, I told you that I consider you family," he replied. "You are so much more than just a friend. I held back so long because I guess I was afraid. I knew if it didn't work out, I could lose you. You've become such an important part of my life I was scared to risk it."

"What changed?" she asked. "Why did you risk it in Florida?"

"The look on your face when I suggested we go was the start," he replied. "Then when we were having lunch with my friend Harry and his wife I saw how happy they were and I knew I could have that too if I just took the chance. So, I went for it. But, obviously that wasn't a good idea. I never meant to make you cry. I'm really sorry. I'll back off if that's what you want."

Caitlin shot him a confused look. "It's not," she replied. "I cried because I realized at that moment that I'd been lying to myself when I thought I was over you."

String smiled. "Then you do feel the same way I do," he said.

"Same?" she asked.

String placed his hands on both sides of her face and gently moved in to kiss her lips. When he pulled back, he no longer saw the sadness in her eyes. "Is this okay?" he asked.

Caitlin smiled. "Yes, it's okay."

String pulled her back to him and this time kissed her more passionately before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"Let's take things slow," he said softly. "I don't want to mess this up."

Caitlin hugged him back and kissed him gently on the neck before reaching his lips again. "I agree," she whispered. "I could stay just like this all night long and I'd be happy."

String grinned. "Sounds good to me," he replied as he reached in for another kiss.

**The End**


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